Advice
- Teaching keyboard in Wider Opportunities? Mike Adcock shares his experiences
Read Mike's article here >>. - How is teaching keyboard different from teaching piano? Find out how to do it: a guide for pianists.
How to teach electronic keyboard >> - Dazzled by the terminology? Here some of the most commonly used words are explained.
How to understand the jargon >> - Want to set up a keyboard group? Find out how Kath Todd did it in Solihull with ‘Keys".
How to set up a keyboard group >> - It is everyone"s responsibility to make sure that health and safety are taken seriously. These safety
suggestions have been collected together after many years of teaching electronic instruments.
How to be safe when playing keyboards together >>
Free Downloads
From this page both teachers and pupils can benefit from the free downloads on offer.
Compendium of keyboard chords >>
This is a methodical scheme covering all the chords you are ever likely to need, from straightforward majors, minors and 7ths to augmented, diminished, added 9ths and flattened or raised 2nds, 3rds, 5ths, 7ths or 9ths. It suggests the best hand positions, taking into account the possibilities and limitations of different keyboards. You could call it ‘the easy way to learn difficult chords!'. Print off all 15 pages, or else just the ones you need.
Harmonies to accompany Scales and Arpeggios >>
Modes covered are major, minor (both forms), chromatic, blues and pentatonic. The requirements for Trinity Guildhall, London College and Victoria College all are met. Pep up your lessons by accompanying your pupil's scales either on another keyboard or at the piano. Greater fluency, enjoyment, and rhythmic regularity will be the result. Alternatively, as a player, give yourself the challenge of playing the scales and arpeggios in one hand and the chords in the other; at the suggested tempi this will not be easy, and could serve as a revision course!
Key Chart 1 >>
On two pages of A4 you have an ingenious chart, which covers all the sharp keys. It includes their scales, triads, key signatures, tones and semitones, and the accidentals of their relative minors. Although copyright to NEKC you are welcome to download and use for your benefit.
Key Chart 2 >>
This covers the flat keys in a similar way to chart 1.
Rhythm sheets
Many pupils have difficulty with rhythm, mostly because they cannot invisage how the notes line up with the beats of the bar. On these sheets they write out their difficult bars beneath four lines showing those subdivisions (eg first line minims, second line crotchets, third line quavers, fourth line semiquavers) so that they can see how the notes align. A good habit is then to clap it from the top of the page, including the written bar they have just added. The sheets are downloadable individually, as you will find that some are more in demand than others.
- Rhythm sheet 2/4 time >>
- Rhythm sheet 3/2 time >>
- Rhythm sheet 3/4 time >>
- Rhythm sheet 3/8 time >>
- Rhythm sheet 4/4 or 2/4 time >>
- Rhythm sheet 6/4 time >>
- Rhythm sheet 6/8 time >>
- Rhythm sheet 9/8 time >>
- Rhythm sheet 12/8 time >>
Noterows >>
Noterows are a fun way for pupils to achieve fluency in reading from the treble clef.
This, all on one page, will provide sight-reading practice (pitches only) in keys up to five sharps and five flats. Along the top are the different key signatures with eight lines of semibreves below, increasing in difficulty. A key and line of music is chosen and the notes are played regularly at an agreed tempo.
Practice charts >>
On one page here are practice charts for four pupils for a term. They fill in how many minutes their practice lasted each day, and the total for the week. A helpful motivation, to be rewarded by the teacher in some way; particularly effective when children learn in groups.
Chord Template >>
Teachers fill in the position of chords on small keyboard diagrams for their pupils.